Reptile simulating illusion toy



ug- 3l 1954 J. A FRAMPTON 2,587,887

REPTILE SIMULATING ILLusIoN 'roy 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 22, 1951 Aug. 31j, ISM fil. FRAMPTQN 2 Sheets--Sxheet 2 Filed June 22, 1951 Patented Aug. 31, 1954 assist? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a novelty toy and has for its primary object to a'ord amusement and entertainment.

Another object is to move a porton of a simulated reptile or the like when a movable element of a container is actuated and thus to create the illusion that the container houses a live reptile or the like.

The above and other objects may be attained by employing this invention which embodies among its features a box or the like having a hinged cover, a false bottom in the box, a body of flexible material in the box simulating in shape and coloring a reptile or the like and means within the box connected to the body and to the cover and operating beneath the false bottom for flexing a portion of the body as the cover moves to open position.

Other features include a crank arm pivotally carried by the under side of the false bottom and extending therethrough into the body, yielding means connected to the crank arm and to the false bottom for holding the body extended, and a exible member connected to the crank arm and to the box cover for moving the crank arm against the effort of the yielding means and flexing the body to simulate life therein.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a plan view of an embodiment of this invention showing portions broken away more clearly to illustrate the details of the toy;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional View taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the line 4--4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a plan View of the device showing the box cover open and the body therein exed;

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure '7 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line 'I-'I of Figure 5, and

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the false bottorn of the box.

Referring to the drawings in detail a box I 0 which preferably comprises an elongated hollow body, carries along one longitudinal side edge a cover I2. The hollow body of the present disclosure comprises a bottom I4 having spaced parallel upwardly extending side walls I6 and end Walls I8.

Supported within the box I0 intermediate the bottom I4 and cover I2 is an elongated rectangular false bottom 20 having along its longitudinal side edges downturned side flanges 22 and along its end edges downturned end flanges 24 and 26. These yside and end flanges are adapted to engage the bottom I4 of the box I0 and hold the false bottom 20 in properly spaced relation thereto.

A reinforcing pad 28 is carried on the side of the false bottom 20 near the end thereof adjacent the flange 26 and the false bottom 26 and pad 28 are formed with aligned openings through which extends the pivot portion 36 of a crank designated generally 32. Carried at the upper end of the pivot portion 36 of the crank 32 and projecting perpendicularly thereto is an arm 34 which is received in the body of flexible material to be hereinafter described, to cause said body to flex when the crank 32 is oscillated. An actuating arm 36 is carried by the pivot portion 30 on the under side of the false bottom 26 and lies directly beneath and in spaced parallel relation to the arm 34. An eye 38 is carried by the actuating arm 36 at the end thereof remote from the pivot portion 30 and connected to the eye 38 and to a staple 40 carried by the end Wall 36 is an elastic extensible member 42 which is so tensioned as to yieldingly hold the arms 34 and 36 substantially parallel with the side iianges 22.

Formed in the false bottom 20 adjacent the end flange 24 is an opening through which projects an eyelet 44, and coupled to the eye 38 and leading through the eyelet 44 is a exible member 46. A limiting strap 48 is connected at one end to the cover I2 and at its opposite end to the false bottom 20 and secured to cover I2 adjacent and beneath the limiting strap in any suitable manner is the end of the ilexible member 46 remote from the eye 38. It will thus be seen that when the cover is moved to open position, it will exert pull on the flexible member 46 and cause the crank member 32 to move against the effort of the exible extensible member 42.

A body 50 of exible material shaped and colored to simulate a reptile is carried by the top side of the false bottom 26 with a portion thereof impaled on the arm 34 and another portion remote from the crank 32 cemented or otherwise attached to the false bottom. In its present embodiment the body 56 is shaped and colored to represent a snake and with the portion immediately adjacent the head impaled on the arm 34 and the tail portion secured to the false bottom 24 it will be evident that upon exerting pull on the flexible member 46, the head portion of the body 50 will move sideways against the elort of the yielding means 42. With the false bottom 20 mounted in the box I0 as shown and the lirnn iting strap 48 coupled to the box cover i2, it will be evident that as the box cover 2 moves to open position the exible member will move the crank 32 and cause the body 50 to flex in a lifelike manner.

What is claimed is:

In a toy of the type comprising a box having an open top and a hinged cover for closing the open top of the box, means within the box for surprising one opening the cover thereof comprising a false bottom in said box, a body of flexible material simulating in shape and color a reptile, the rearward portion of lsaid body being xed atop the false bottom, a crank vmember pivotally mounted in and extending through the false bottom, said crank member extending into the forward portion of the body for exing said body, means connected to the crank member and to the cover for moving the crank member as the cover is opened and flexing the body, and yielding means connected to the crank member and, to the false bottom for restoring the parts to their initial position as the cover is closed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

